In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to apparatus for controlling the release of rucked casing material on a product discharge horn especially when the rucked material has reduced plasticity.
Packaging of sausage products and other food products in casing material by discharge of the products from a tube or horn into the casing which has been rucked upon that horn is disclosed and taught in numerous prior art patents including the following:
A problem often encountered with respect to such apparatus relates to the mechanism which is used to control the discharge of casing material that has been rucked upon the product discharge horn. Various types of braking mechanisms have been proposed over the years to control the release of casing removal in a manner which will prevent tears from forming in the casing yet will release the casing in a manner that product discharged into the casing will fill the casing uniformly and in a manner which provides an appealing product. Various prior art patents teach braking mechanisms including the following which are incorporated herewith by reference:
Various other patents have been issued which disclose casing control and release mechanisms including the following:
While such apparatus are useful for controlling the discharge or release of casing material from a horn or tube, there has remained the problem of providing a method and mechanism for adjustment of the diameter of a brake mechanism to accommodate casing materials of differing elasticity or plasticity, different diameter and differing elongation and strength characteristics.
Briefly, the present invention comprises apparatus and a method for adjustably controlling the braking or release of casing material from a horn or tube. The apparatus includes a first ring member which is affixed or attached to the end of the tube and which is adapted to receive an annular seal carrier ring at the outside end of the tube. The annular carrier ring includes a flexible, elastomeric seal about the outer periphery which may be altered in shape to vary the effective diameter of the braking mechanism. The alteration in shape is effected by engaging the elastomeric seal with a section of the first ring member that may be varied in accord with the axial displacement of the carrier ring within the first ring member. Various other construction features of the invention include a variable diameter product discharge passage through the carrier ring for control of product discharge from the tube and a seal between the carrier ring and the tube.
Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved brake mechanism for controlling the release of casing material rucked upon a tube or product discharge horn.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an economically and efficiently constructed brake mechanism for use in combination with a product discharge tube or horn.
Another object of the invention is to provide an easily adjusted brake mechanism which permits easy alteration of the effective diameter of the brake in response to distinctive diameter requirements associated with the type of casing material and the diameter of the casing material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a brake mechanism which includes a construction that enables the adjustment of the product discharge orifice from the tube or horn.
These and other Invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.